Sluice



April 1941- R. M. MOWRY 2,239,396

SLUICE Filed Dec. 14, 1938 INVENTOR.

Bqy M Mow/"y w Z? Km ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNITED PATENT QFFICE 'SLUICE Mammy, Huntington Park, cam. Applieat'ioh-Debember'fl, 193s, vsi'ai-ialNo.1245565 (crabs-1 9i? My invention relates to sluices. Aniinprirtant object of my invention i'sto' 'imita'te as closely as possible natufes method 61 depositing gold by streams in gulches, andthe like; Naturesnietho'd is for water rushing down a strike boulders thereim'wl'iich splits' tl i stream, causing" eddies behind the boulders. I'lie 'tiirbiil'nde of the water rushing down the glull'y, or the like, continuously turns ii'p'sid ddwh the stream and its suspended particles of gold,- which prevents the flour and flake gold newness-11g oii.

Another objectis to previae' ifieenameemeans for imitating the roll or i; placer pan manipulated by a miner, l

Still another object is to provid novel agitating means within the'slui'c'e and-novel mesn'srer catching the gold.

The invention also comprises *novel details of construction and novel combinations and "er rangem'ents of parts; which willfinorefullyappear in the course of theiollowing descriptive.

In the drawing, like reference ch ractersdes'lgnate similar parts in 'tli s e'v'ral views.

Figure 1 is aside elevation-6f aiiembodimeiit of my invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section, miseries the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is aface view of a track comprised in the invention.

Figure 4 is a broken, enlarged section of a water nozzle hereinafter more fully advised.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the reference numeral 5 generally designates an inclined trough, at the head or feed end of which is a hopper 6 for delivering material to the trough.

The trough is mounted on spring legs 1 and 8 the higher feed end and under ends of the legs are preferably rigidly mounted on the trough and on base members It. This mounting may be either through the intermediary of flanges at the ends of the legs, as-shown at l2, or bolting the ends 01 the legs to angle irons, as shown at l3, or both means. The material of the legs is resilient, which afiords a quick return of the trough, during agitation, without a Jerk.

The bottom of the trough is preferably dished in cross section, as shown at H in Figure 2. This shape affords a relatively narrow, flat bottom l5. A series of riflies I6 is disposed longitudinally of the trough. The riflies span the space between the dished sides of the trough bottom. as shown in Figure 2, and are inclined upwardly from the eccentric bottom 5 of the trough,- as indicated in broken line's'in Figure 1'. Each riiii'e traps a small body offwater'behind it.

'I-he recesses l-1 under the ri'flies provide partial vacuums when water spills over the riiiies, which provides suction, whereby to assist in deterring goldva'lu'es-fro'm floating ofl.

Disposed longitudinal-1y in the fiat bottom [5 of the triziug-h, b tween each adjacent is a 'U-shaped, removable wire track or race [8 comprisingrai-ls l9and across-head 20. The cross-heads are bowed upwardly to-term stops 2 I whereby to prevent balls-22 from striking the riiiies Ea'ch wire track is wedged between nozzle to cut the' stream therefrom.

h It is believed clear'without furtherillus tration thaitthe conduit'i'iinay be mounted directly to the-trough-and connected with the-pump b'y'fle'xible tubing.

For the purpose of agitating the trough, an engine 28 is operatively connected to drive an 29 by means of a belt 30 on a sheave 3|. A connecting rod 32 has a head 33 that folother end of the rod 32 is connected with a bracket 34 under the bottom of the trough.

In the operation of the present invention, Figmountings of the ends of the legs and to the resilience of the material of the legs, the return movements of the trough to the left and to the righ are dampened, which prevents jerky movements of the trough.

The agitation of the trough causes the balls to roll up and down on the tracks l8, which agitates the pools behind the riffles, so that the water will be continuously roiled, thus deterringthe flour and fiak'e' gold fromfloating off. The balls also simulate the boulders in natures streams by dividing the stream that flows down the trough to its open discharge end 36.

The values collect in the pockets between the rails IQ of the tracks and To remove the values, each track are removed. The pocket may then be swept into a pan placed under the lip of the riffle. A whisk broom may be used for the purpose. It will be noted that the operation of this mechanism is so simple that it may be operated by a person with little experience in placer separation. v I

It is also to be understood that the present mechanism may be used as an amalgamator by placing mercury in the spaces between the rails 19 of the wire tracks, although generally it is preferable to follow the steps outlined hereinbefore and then place the values ,in a separate amalgamator. Moreover, this machine may be used, as a wet machine, as described, or if the water is omitted, it may be used as a dry concentrator.

The Wires i8 are of value in taking up the wear caused by the agitation of the balls. When worn, the wires may be easily replaced, which; would not be the case if the balls rested directly on the bottom of the trough. v 1

While I have illustrated and described whatI now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the particulanform of construction illustrated and described, but desireto avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

ball and its respective underneath the balls.

lengthwise of the l. A sluice comprising an inclined trough, rifiies successively arranged down the trough, the riffies being arranged at an acute angle to the trough bottom, to provide recesses thereunder, tracks arranged in the trough bottom between the rifiies and extending in the direction of the inclination of the trough, balls loosely supported on the tracks, and means to vibrate the trough longitudinally with respect to the inclination of the trough.

, 2. A sluice comprising an inclined trough, a rifiie in the trough arranged to impound a relatively small pool, a track disposed in the pool, the track having substantially parallel members providing a pocket therebetween for catching values, the parallel members of the track extending inclination of the trough, a ball disposed to roll along the track when the trough fine material in the I position against the resilience of the arm means and its said concomitant members are agitated, and means to vibrate the trough a direction lengthwise of said track members.

3. A sluice comprising a trough, riffles in the trough, inclined wire tracks in the trough wedged in between adjacent riiiles, the track having a bowed, cross member at the lower end of the track, balls movably disposed on the tracks, the cross, members acting as stops for the balls, and means to vibrate the trough.

4. In a sluice, a trough, arm means rigidly con nected with and supporting the head of the trough, relatively shorter arm means rigidly connected with and supporting the foot of the trough, at leastone of said arm means being resilient, the arm means being difierent distances apart at their outer ends than at their points of connection with the trough, a su port rigidly connected with the outer ends of the arm means, the arm meansbeing inclined outwardly in opposite directions .fromthe vertical in one position of the trough, movement of the trough from said causing the arm means to move the ends of the trough in opposite directionsin vertical planes, and mechanism to eiiect said movements, the resilience of the arm means tending to efiect a snap movement on the return movement of the trough.

ROY M. MOW'RY. 

